Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews.

Chapter Three

"Since when do I explain myself to you guys?" Hyde asked standing up and shrugging. Then he turned to Kelso, "And for the record: she's not your girl." With that Hyde walked into his room.

Jackie stood there alone in front of prying eyes and she felt like she was going to throw up. "Nothing's going on with me and Steven." She said rolling her eyes behind the sunglasses and walking out of the basement. She went to her car and drove to a nearby clothing store. She bought a couple of sweaters, long sleeved shirts, underwear, and another pair of jeans; nothing flashy just enough to get her through the next few days. Then she went to the nearest drug store and picked up cheap shampoo, conditioner, and a toothbrush. When she was done she found a payphone and called the Foremen's house.

"Hello?" Steven answered on the first ring.

"Are they gone?" She asked conspicuously.

He laughed on his end of the line, "Yeah I got them all baked and they all got tired and went to their houses. Where are you? I'll come to get you so that no one else will get suspicious by seeing your car here."

"I'm at the drugstore on Harris Road." Jackie said.

"I'm on my way." Hyde said hanging up on his end.

When they got back into the basement Hyde dropped Jackie's shopping bags on his bed and turned to the exhausted brunette. "Do you want to take a shower or just go to bed?" He asked her.

She answered him with a hearty yawn. "I'll shower tomorrow once everyone is gone to school. Where am I supposed to sleep?" She asked looking around the small, dank room.

He gestured towards his bed, "You can take my bed and I'll take the floor. I would sleep on the couch but then anyone could walk in and see me."

She smiled weakly and nodded. Then she looked at her bag, "Damn it!" She swore. "I forgot to buy pajamas." She explained her outburst.

He nodded and walked over to his dresser and pulled out his favorite Zeppelin shirt and a pair of pajama pants and handed them to her taking his own pajama pants and wife beater out of the same drawer. "We can both get dressed in here, I promise not to look." He said turning his back to her he stripped down to his boxers.

She turned her back to him after she saw him pull his shirt off revealing his surprisingly muscular build. Wow he has a really nice body. She thought to herself as she blushed, pulling off her top. She pulled Hyde's tee shirt up to her face and breathed in his intoxicating scent. She couldn't believe how after just one day so much of her opinion of him had changed and how now just his scent made her feel safe. She shook those thoughts away as silly while she pulled the shirt on then shimmied out of her jeans.

Hyde couldn't help himself as he peeked over his shoulder at the tiny half-naked brunette on the other side of his small room. Her legs were there for the most part exposed to him. She looks so hot in my clothes. He smiled as he surveyed her legs, they were thin, but curvy, smooth, and milky colored except for the bruises that littered her thighs. He winced as soon as he took them in. What kind of bastard does something like that to his daughter? Her arms had bad bruises as well. She's so little, there's no way she could defend herself. How can you want to hurt someone who's that small, bruise something that beautiful?

Jackie playfully glanced to see if Hyde was dressed yet and she discovered that he was and she caught him checking her out. "You promised!" She shrieked forgetting her mangled appearance.

He turned his back to her not wanting her to see his pained expression. "Sorry." He mumbled.

She realized then how she looked and that he was probably sickened by her appearance. She quickly pulled on the pajama pants and climbed in to Hyde's bed happy to be surrounded by his scent. "All set." She said having covered the majority of bruised skin.

"Are you warm enough?" He asked setting up a blanket on the floor next to the bed.

"Yes." She said smiling up at him. "Thanks for taking care of me today."

"Of course." He nodded and lay on the cold floor next to the bed. "Just let me know if you need anything else." He sighed trying to get comfortable on the floor and failing miserably.

Jackie shifted in the bed several times, she couldn't get warm and she wanted so desperately for Steven to hold her in his comforting embrace again. She leaned over the edge of the bed and looked down at him, "Could you come up here, please?" She asked him.

He looked at her trying to hide his excitement with confusion, "Why?" He asked sitting up.

"I'm cold and I'm scared." She admitted the second part much more quietly. "Would you mind holding me?" She asked him innocently.

Would I mind? I'd love to. He thought as he couldn't help but smile at her, but all he did was nod before climbing under the covers beside Jackie. He rubbed her arm lightly trying to warm her up.

She laid there facing him for a whole moment just staring into his eyes. She'd never gotten to see how beautiful they were under his usual sunglasses. They were this innocent sparkling blue. I've never thought of anything on Steven Hyde as innocent before. She thought smiling to herself. She licked her lips again thinking about how she almost kissed him earlier and deep down she wished she had.

Hyde looked at her and when she licked her lips again he bit down on his bottom lip. She is so sexy. He thought to himself. Then his attention was brought back to her bruises. You asshole. He mentally scolded himself. She's here for you to comfort her not fantasize about her when she's this weak. "Goodnight Jackie." He said in a calm even tone.

She knew at that point that their moment was once again broken. She turned away from him and backed up against him casually. She reached over and grabbed his hand pulling his arm around her waist. She smiled to herself as his grip tightened and he drew her closer to his body. "Goodnight." She whispered back to him. She closed her eyes and drifted off into the best night of sleep that she'd had in months.

To Be Continued.